The Trust
Åland Maritime Museum is a charitable trust that manages and mediates Åland's maritime heritage, with reference to the present and to the future.
Our mission is to promote a greater understanding of maritime Åland by:
maintaining and developing collections
sharing knowledge of the tangible and intangible aspects
encouraging and assisting research
providing a forum for maritime activities and actors
serving in local, regional and international contexts
The Trust runs the Åland Maritime Museum and the tall ship Pommern, Åland’s top two visitor attractions. The Maritime Museum is open all year and the Pommern from May through to September. The Trust has ten permanent staff and five support staff. In addition, the Trust is fortunate to have a large volunteer corps that makes a vital contribution into many different areas.
The Trust’s board is made up of seven members, of which three are nominated by the Åland Nautical Club and four by the Government of Åland. Members sit on four-year terms.
A brief history
Our origins lie in the 1920s when Åland sea captain Carl Holmqvist started to collect nautical objects, realising the days of sailing ships were over. In 1935 he co-founded Åland Nautical Club with the aim of establishing a maritime museum for Åland. The museum building, designed by architect Jonas Cedercreutz, was completed in 1949 and five years later the Åland Maritime Museum opened to the public.
Through contributions from Åland seafarers and shipping companies the collections continued to grow. In 1986 Åland Nautical Club donated all museum objects, archives and the library to the newly formed trust Åland Maritime Museum.
An extension as well as comprehensive renovation of the original building commenced in the autumn of 2009. The museum re-opened on 26th April 2012. In March 2015 the Trust was entrusted full management of the historic tall ship Pommern, owned by the Town of Mariehamn. Major investments are currently being done to into preservation and public engagement.